Question Anyone have airflow coming out front?

[Gururu]

I was wondering if anyone is using their pc exhaust to provide warm air to front to help heat a room. Rear exhaust wastes energy by heating solid surfaces usually.

 

[COLGeek]

I'm not sure if any are currently on the market right now, but reverse airflow case designs have been available in the past.

Lian Li used to have one. I used for a neighbor's build several years ago (long since replaced).

The sticking point with most current cases will be the PSU. Regardless, you can certainly reverse fan directions/airflow in most cases.

 

[USAFRet]

I was wondering if anyone is using their pc exhaust to provide warm air to front to help heat a room. Rear exhaust wastes energy by heating solid surfaces usually.

Heating solid surfaces is not a waste.

Indeed, may be marginally MORE effective. A solid surface (wall) retains heat more that free air.

 

[Eximo]

As long as the energy use is happening, the waste heat is occurring in the same room. The warm air of the PC might be re-directed to hit you directly if you wanted that, but you would have to be pretty close to not also get the air movement causing a cooling effect to the skin.

Honestly, running my gaming PC in a room with a closed door is more than enough to heat up a room to above comfort levels, almost year round. In my youth I used to crack two windows and get a cross breeze going to evacuate the warm air.

 

[dwd999]

The airflow in the case should generally cool the hottest parts, which is usually the cpu and vrms. That's why most cases have an exhaust fan in the back because that's closest to the cpu, vrms and dimms. But if you want an exhaust in the front you could try that as long as you have a cool air intake in the bottom of the case and the back to feed the front exhaust. A top of the case exhaust is also good if you have enough space above the case.

 

[Gururu]

Heating solid surfaces is not a waste.

Indeed, may be marginally MORE effective. A solid surface (wall) retains heat more that free air.

So you are saying the room and I will be warmer if I heat the drywall behind my computer instead of my legs?

Honestly, running my gaming PC in a room with a closed door is more than enough to heat up a room to above comfort levels, almost year round. In my youth I used to crack two windows and get a cross breeze going to evacuate the warm air.

My pc is in a large living room so it doesn't do much on the room in its current position.

If the common sense is that exhausting to a wall is same or better than air, then I am settled. Thank you!

 

[USAFRet]

So you are saying the room and I will be warmer if I heat the drywall behind my computer instead of my legs?

My pc is in a large living room so it doesn't do much on the room in its current position.

If the common sense is that exhausting to a wall is same or better than air, then I am settled. Thank you!

I used the word "marginal" for a reason. There probably isn't a lot of difference either way.

If it warms your legs today, what will it do in July/August?